In the woods today we were building on the interest the children have shown in finding and collecting acorns. Yesterday we learned how to identify an oak tree by looking at the shape of its leaves. Today we walked through the woods and tried to spot more oak trees. We were excited to find a tiny little baby oak (we put sticks around it to protect it because we were worried someone might stand on it) and also an enormous oak tree that took 4 children to stretch their arms around it. We learned that oak trees are known as the King of the Forest and that they grow very slowly but are very strong. Jane, Jordan and Lynda also learned that oak trees produce male and female flowers – the male flowers develop in a group called a catkin. Catkins hang down from twigs and release their pollen into the air where they are blown around to pollinate a nearby female flower. After pollination, the base of the female flower forms a woody cup, and the flower forms a woody fruit called a nut – an acorn!
We put wood cookie labels on some of the oak trees we found. If you are walking in the woods maybe you will spot one!
Cambusbarron Village Nursery 